Freefalling
by dazedkitten
Summary: Oh, what the heck. It's a timeturner story. Hopefully, though, I have managed to put a new spin on it. Complete in 13 chapters with Author's Notes. Written before OOTP.
1. The Fall

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to their respective owners. I am not making any profit on this; though if I were, I wouldn't be quite as broke as I am right now. You can have the ten dollars in my bank account if you'd really like. This disclaimer applies for the whole story, and will not be repeated.

Part 1: The Fall

Dianella opened her eyes to see an all-too-familiar sight: the roof of the Hospital Wing. Its high-beamed roof, white-curtained windows, beds with firm mattresses and smooth cool linen were all comforting. Dianella sighed, closing her eyes. There was a great fuzziness in her head, and although the girl probed again and again, she could find no answers to her question- how did she get here? Nell often woke to find herself here, and so it wasn't really that big a deal- except she usually spent this time berating herself for her stupid mistakes, before her grandparents came to do the same. 

Nell smiled at the thought of her grandparents. Her Nana was the Transfigurations Professor, and head of Gryffindor, a sometimes stern, always loving parent-figure whilst she was here during term. Nell loved going and sitting in her Nana's rooms and talking with her- she was much better company than most of her friends, being able to maintain an intelligent conversation. Though Nell did have friends- and many, at that- she still sought out her Nana when she wanted someone to talk to. It just felt natural for her. 

Her grandfather was rather imposing. He was just so intense, and he always seemed to be watching her out of the corner of his eyes. Whenever Nana was around, he was milder, but he still swept around, seemingly never at ease. Nana said that he was really just a softie, but Nell had never figured him out. He did look out for her, though, and she respected him. Where Nana was a friend and confidant, Grandfather was her dark knight. Nell smiled; she did love him. Even if he was a grump most of the time. 

Nell rolled over in the bed, lying on her side, trying to think of exactly what she had done. She sighed; trying to reassure herself that everything was ok. It always was, after all. 

There was a small, niggling worry in the back of her mind, however.

She was startled from searching her mind by a tall old man with a very long white beard and periwinkle robes twirling into the room and sitting beside her. He gazed down at her, smiling secretly. 

"I don't suppose you know who I am, do you?" The old man's voice was as watery as his eyes. He was tall, though his beard nearly reached the floor while he was sitting. He offered her a sweet from a small tin as he asked the question.

Nell shook her head, even though she was beginning to suspect that she did. One thing that Grandfather did that made him approachable was tell stories. She would always go to him then, and beg to be told one story or another. Nell loved grandfather's stories. Nell began to suspect that she was sitting in a story. 

"I'm Albus Dumbledore. I am the Head…"

"…Master of Hogwart's. Oh, dear." Nell cut in, closing her eyes wearily. Anything was better than this. The memory she had been searching for flooded spontaneously into her mind. Stairs, late for class, tripping… watching the silver hourglass tumbling end over end over end before crashing to the floor, silvery sand spilling all over the floor, a distinct wrenching pulling at the extremities of her limbs and moving inwards…

"I think that I wrecked a very expensive time turner." Nell said gravely, looking up at Dumbledore for a reaction. He merely smiled sadly, nodding his head for her to tell her story. 

"I have the distinct impression that I've fallen backward in time a substantial amount. In my time, you have already... passed away. I am in my seventh year, and you were gone long before I was even thought of." Nell looked up at the man, realising that her position was not so good for comfortably looking into his face. She struggled under the sheets, but managed to push herself up to a sitting position. Her head began to throb loudly, and Nell laughed. "I feel like I've got a hangover. So this is what long-distance time travel does to you."

Dumbledore grimaced in the general direction of the window, before turning back to the girl. "It's not every day I get to meet time travellers. Please, tell me who is present in your future; maybe we can ascertain just how far you have fallen?" Nell nodded resignedly.

"My father came to Hogwarts- his name was Septimius…" Nell watched for reaction, but found none. She proceeded, "My Nana is Hermione Granger." Nell paused as she saw recognition on Dumbledore's face. "You know her?"

"I do indeed, and if you have to reside here- as I fear you may have to whilst we bend our minds as to how to return you to your time- you will probably be in her classes. She is in seventh year." 

Nell smiled. "I'm most comfortable around her, so don't worry. We are quite good friends, as she works at Hogwarts in my time. She's head of my house in fact- Gryffindor. Dad is usually away on work, and Mum doesn't mind if I stay at Hogwarts in the holidays, so I do most of the time. We are quite close." Nell stopped, realising that she was rambling. She smiled wistfully at Dumbledore. 

Dumbledore took in this information with nothing more than a small smile. "Well, dear… what did you say your name was?" 

"Dianella. My friends call me Nell."

"Well, Dianella, I believe that you will be staying with us for a while. In fact, you can even share a room with your grandmother if it will make you feel more comfortable?" Nell nodded, smiling broadly. This didn't help her head, however, and it protested, bringing on a wince. As if on cue, Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room, waving her wand over the girl and worrying in general. Nell watched her intently, seeking just how much she resembled the woman from Grandfather's stories. She was remarkably like the image from those stories, and it was just about all Nell could do to stop from giggling. She almost managed to keep the smile from her face, but it tweaked the edges of her mouth just a little. Dumbledore noticed the small hint of smile, and commented on it. 

"Oh! My Grandfather tells wonderful stories- huge great epics. Madam Pomfrey is often mentioned. She is remarkably like the portrait painted of her by my Grandfather's words." At this, Pomfrey huffed in annoyance, hands on her hips. 

"Who would tell stories about me?"

Nell smiled gently. "Grandfather," she said, unhelpfully. Pomfrey huffed again, not as indignantly this time, turning to prepare a willow bark tea to soothe the pain in Nell's head. Nell chuckled.

Dumbledore chuckled along with her, before taking her hand and helping her to her feet. Madame Pomfrey handed the girl the drink, and after watching to make sure she drank the whole thing, watched intently as Dumbledore helped the girl walk from the room.

"She should rest." Pomfrey said at their backs, and Dumbledore turned his head back to her. "I'll make sure she does, but in her rooms. We can't have the children thinking there's some spy hidden away in the hospital wing, can we now?" And, carried on Dumbledore's gentle humour, Nell began to move down the stairs. The balustrade was firmly grasped in one hand, keeping her on her feet, whilst Dumbledore held her other arm. Her vision swam, but she managed to keep her footing. Dumbledore guided her down the stairs, although she had to pause and sit halfway down. 

"We are going to have to find a story." Dumbledore stated, looking a little worried at the prospect. 

"I would suggest using a story closest to the truth," Nell advised. "It will help me to keep the story clear in my mind, and if questioned I will be able to answer smoothly. Maybe I can be Dianella Granger, thrown back into the past by a… a…" Nell floundered a little, and Dumbledore, smiling slightly, moved in to help.

"A time turner? Distant relative of Hermione, but so distant so as to not be all that helpful for anyone who wishes to know the outcome of the war?"

Nell started, pulling back to look into the man's eyes. "The war? The war's still here? I've been flung into the war? Oh, dear." Nell's head swirled, and her feet were suddenly very interesting. It was definitely not a good time to be alive.

"Yes, the war. Unfortunately, I don't think we can avoid it. Just on a personal note, do we win?"

Nell laughed once, a short, hiccupy sound filled with sorrow. She glanced up at Dumbledore. "Do you really want to know?" Dumbledore looked at the girl and slowly shook his head. 

"You are proof that we don't lose, and I will take that as my comfort. I don't want to know who dies, nor who lives. I will just take my comfort in that you are here, and that we win. Even if it costs us everything." Nell lowered her head again, not able to bring any comfort to the aching man. 

"Yes, we win. And I will say no more, so that my arrival here doesn't change the course of the war. Of course," Nell glanced up at the old man, her composure a little restored, "if I'm here, that must mean that it's happened before, and it will happen again, and anything I say will be meant to happen, and I cannot change the future, because I'm in the future." She laughed softly, and Dumbledore smiled broadly at the girl. 

"Now, my dear, let me take you first to Professor McGonnagal. She will be most intrigued, I believe." And with that Nell struggled back to her feet, and- her balance still wobbly- allowed Dumbledore to guide her while she simply concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. 

#~~~~~~~~~~#

"A time turner?" McGonagall's expression was astonished. Nell wondered if this woman was really as stern and implacable as her grandfather seemed to enjoy making her out to be. "No wonder it's such a restricted item! And Hermione? My dear!" Dumbledore sat placidly near the fire, reaching out his hands to the flames. Nell smiled wanly at the woman her Nana would follow. Professor McGonagall flustered herself a little more before settling down in a chair also. "What subjects are you completing in your time?"

Nell listed her subjects, and McGonagall looked surprised once again. "Those are the exact same subjects that Hermione is completing. How remarkable." McGonagall handed Nell her timetable, and Nell stood. 

"Thankyou, Professor. I'm sure I'll be able to rival Hermione." Nell smiled a whimsical smile, "and maybe I'll even take first place in a couple of the classes. You just never know." McGonagall smiled warmly, standing to usher the girl out. Nell's head had cleared a bit, and her balance seemed to have been partially restored. She found that she could walk in a straight line now. Well, almost. Dumbledore stood also, smiled at McGonagall and moved to guide the girl once again. 

"Nearly home, Dianella."


	2. Finding

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 2: Finding

Hermione was sitting at the table in the Common Room, wondering how teenage boys manage to be so noisy and not annoy themselves. She suspected that it was quite an achievement. Closing her eyes and holding her hands over her ears, she attempted solve the Arithmancy problem she was working on in her head. She was just beginning to get somewhere when a loud noise made the numbers and symbols fragment apart and disappear. 

Opening her eyes in disgust, she only just managed to cut off an annoyed comment when she saw a splash of periwinkle fabric. 

The headmaster was standing in the portal-hole of the Gryffindor Common Room with a very pretty blonde girl. She stood elegantly, her hair falling in gentle cascades down her shoulders. Hermione sighed, knowing that such beauty was unattainable for her. Not that she was ugly: just not stunning. Or certainly some of the boys would have noticed by now. Hermione inwardly frowned at herself for thinking about boys- they were the biggest waste of time while she was studying. That would come in time.

Meanwhile, a strange girl was standing in front of her, dressed in Hogwarts school robes- Gryffindor colours- despite Hermione's knowledge that this girl was not normally in her House. Hermione's ever-present curiosity was piqued. 

Dumbledore's eyes searched the room, paused on Hermione and indicated for her to come over. The girl's dark eyes flickered in a double take over Hermione, but she smiled warmly. Hermione smiled back, not being able to restrain herself. Well, she seemed friendly enough. 

"Hermione, this is Dianella. She is here via a magical accident involving a time turner. She just so happens to be in every single one of your classes, so would you please take care of her? I'm sure she'll tell you her whole story as soon as I'm out of the room," Dumbledore smiled benignly at the blonde girl who laughed softly. 

"I'm sure, Headmaster. I'll be fine now." Dumbledore smiled again, and moved to the portrait-hole. He glanced back as he closed the portrait, his expression not quite as composed as it had been in the room. The portrait then swung closed firmly. 

There was a particularly loud bang from the fifth-year boys who were playing exploding snap and the cards suddenly flew into the air. Hermione laughed delightedly at the raining cards. The boys started scampering around the room, picking up the cards where they fell. A few stopped to stare at Dianella, but she just smiled secretively. 

"Now they'll have to be quiet for a while! The deck doesn't work until they've found all the cards- I'm glad that Fred and George incorporated that into the cards. I think I would go insane otherwise. Of course," Hermione stated matter-of-factly, "it doesn't state it on the box- it's just one of the little surprises of buying a product from _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_." Nell laughed with Hermione, before helping her gather up her Arithmancy homework to carry into her room. 

"Lots of homework?" Nell questioned. 

Hermione smiled, "personal interests. I can't get enough of learning- unfortunately, that involves a great deal of reading. As you can tell, my friends are not so interested in that- Harry and Ron are off having an adventure at the moment. An unplanned expedition to Hogsmeade, I believe." 

Nell smiled as she followed Hermione up the stairs. "That's the way with boys- and those who aren't really interested in learning." 

Hermione dumped her armload of books onto the desk beside her bed, motioning for Nell to do the same. Hermione closed the door. "Indeed. I'm not even going to get started about Lavendar and Parvati. It's a losing battle."

Nell shrugged and sat on the bed beside Hermione's. "That one's vacant- I gather it's yours?" Hermione commented.

 Nell looked down at it, lifted up the pillow and discovered the sleeping garments that she had always worn- t-shirt and long pants. 

"It appears so," she said, discovering that the garments had her initials sewn into the inner edges. "I wonder how the house elves found these? But then, maybe it's safer not to know." 

Hermione sighed. "The poor house elves. They know no other life than one of slavery." 

Nell laughed out loud at the comment, and continued to laugh for much longer than was polite. She held her stomach, and tears began to emerge from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, you have no idea just how funny that is, do you?"

Hermione looked a trifle offended, but the sincere humour in Dianella's face kept her from being overly so. "No, I don't, really." 

"I have many friends among the house elves, and the one thing that they love most is having someone to serve. They are too powerful to be released, for a start, and they find it hard to make good choices. That was why the first house elves bonded themselves to wizarding families- two elves had an argument and destroyed half of England. They stopped and realised what they'd done and decided that maybe they should find someone to help them make their decisions. They bonded themselves to wizarding families, and they stopped destroying countries; they became house elves."

Hermione sniffed- "Dobby's free, and he's perfectly fine."

Nell smiled patiently, "Dobby's still a house elf- he's still serving someone, and his decisions are still guided. If he were truly free he would grow about three inches, his facial structure would become more prominent, and he would be impossible to contain. He would make terrible choices, and many people would die. Dobby's a very happy house elf- although; it wouldn't be hard after living with Lucius Malfoy. He was a very hard man. Winky, on the other hand, loved her owner, and is seriously miserable. House elves, if treated valuably, are more loyal than any other creature in existence."

Hermione looked uncomprehendingly at Dianella. "Who told you all this?"

Nell's eyes looked distant for a moment, before she laughed outrageously. "You did. To the word." 

Hermione stared. "Me?"

Nell sighed, "I was going to tell you anyway."

Hermione stared. "Tell me what?"

"I'm from the future, remember?" Hermione nodded her head, her eyes still glued unseeingly to the blonde girl's face. "Well, you're my grandmother."

Hermione stared. "Me?"

Nell sighed. "Yes, you."

"Oh." Hermione stared a little more, before she shrugged her shoulders. "Ok. I'd ask you to tell me about the future, but, somehow, I get the feeling you won't tell me."

Nell smiled a wistful smile. "I don't think you'd believe me, even if I did tell you the future." Hermione smiled in return.

"So: what am I like as a grandmother?" Hermione queried.

"You're a great Nana. You're more like my mother than my mother is, mainly because you've always been there to talk to throughout my life. Well, mostly at school. I usually stay at school over the holidays with you. It's great. We research and experiment and laugh. I wouldn't trade you for the world." Nell smiled brightly at her grandmother, and Hermione laughed.

"Such praise! I'm sure that I only do those things because you've said that we do them- but then again, a lab partner is always good to have; I'll take this as volunteering."

Nell laughed, and the conversation moved on to other topics before the girls bedded down for the night.

"Hermione? Whom do the other beds belong to?"

Hermione grimaced. "Lavendar and Parvati. They only sleep here sporadically, favouring the beds of their most recent admirers." There was quite some distaste in her voice. 

"Ah. Ok; well, at least you'll have me to talk to," Nell smiled. Hermione smiled back, and the girls subsided into slumber.


	3. Forlorn

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 3: Forlorn

Dumbledore stepped into Severus' rooms. The man was asleep on the floor again, his heavy black robes fanning out on the floor around him, his face mask sitting propped against the chair more by luck than good measure. Albus stooped to shake the man, and, when he didn't respond, he cast a charm on the man and floated him to the bed. This was far too severe for it to go on any longer. Pulling the covers over the man's prone form, Albus shook the man again, and this time, he did awake. 

Groaning mightily, his eyes took a few moments to focus on their surroundings. His eyes focussed on Albus before grunting and flicking his eyes closed again. He spoke without opening them, "I suppose that you're going to decide that it's all too dangerous for me to go back."

"What happened, Severus?" was Dumbledore's reply; his eyes and the great weariness in his voice the only factors betraying his reluctance. 

Severus coughed, a wracking cough that brought him crunching into a ball. He waved off Albus' worried hand, and swallowed deeply before answering. "He said that he had received intelligence that I was an unfaithful follower. Nothing I said could change his mind. I was there for mere minutes before he decided that it would be beneficial for me to writhe on the ground. I don't know why he stopped, but it appears that I have survived once again." Severus glared at Albus, before sighing and closing his eyes again. "I know you want me to stop, Albus, but how else can I be useful in this war? Where else can I offer my aid? I am just an old bat who lives in the dungeons and sees far too little sunlight. I have nothing else to offer." 

Albus placed a hand on Severus' shoulder. He decided to tell the suffering man about the hope that had fallen into the life of Hogwarts just this day. "Severus," he paused, wondering at the ramifications. 

Severus opened his eyes to look at the old man. "Well," he snapped, "what?"

"This morning a girl appeared in the stairwell. She was taken to the Hospital Wing, where she awoke, and I spoke with her.

"She claims to be from the future, and she appears to have to reason to lie." Again, Albus paused.

Severus was growing impatient. "Your reasons for telling me this are?"

Albus looked deeply into Severus' eyes, "She is living proof that we win this war. Your sacrifice is not necessary."

Severus managed a short barking sound that soon dissolved into a cough, and when he surfaced from that, he looked incredulously at Albus. "What sort of mockery is this? A girl from the future," the disgust in his voice clearly showing what he thought of that notion. "Long distance time travel is dangerously improbable, Dumbledore. You know that. And you expect me to believe that some girl managed to overcome the improbabilities and return here?" He closed his eyes again, and let out an explosive breath.

Albus smiled a little. "She has no reason to lie, dear boy." He was cut short by a glare from Severus that merely made Albus chuckle. "My dear boy, you are needed here. I would never be able to sleep at night if I let you die out there."

 Severus looked up at the man who had saved his life more than once, and the defiance left his face. "You know I only live because you have given me life."

"I know, Severus. Please try to sleep. You can be vile to your students again tomorrow, but tonight, just rest in the knowledge that we win this war."

Albus patted the man's shoulder and left the man to his slumber. 

Severus managed to sleep without nightmares for the first time in months.


	4. Friendships

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 4: Friendships

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Had-So-Far-Lived-To-Defeat-Voldemort-Six-Times, was munching on his breakfast quite happily. His face was one of the contentment of having his favourite food to eat. However, when the girl walked in, he soon became The-Boy-Who-Had-So-Far-Lived-To-Defeat-Voldemort-Six-Times-Just-To-Choke-To-Death-On-His-Breakfast-At-The-Sight-Of-A-Pretty-Girl. Ahem. So it was with weeping eyes, red-blotched face and an inability to do anything except choke as silently as possible, that Harry Potter was introduced to Dianella.

Dianella laughed out loud at the sight of Harry choking on his breakfast. This was her Nana's best friend from school that had gone on to become the world's most feared Auror, and the man of whom legends (that were still told, although Nana seemed to think they were all very overdone) were made. A quick glance at Hermione to her left assured her that the laughter was easing the situation- Hermione seemed very embarrassed at Harry's reaction. 

A quick smile was all that was needed, however, to provoke Hermione to laughter as well. The eyes of all the Great Hall were on the girls, and the whispers were almost audible- "Who is the girl?" None were answered, so rumours were made. Nell seemed oblivious to the attention she commanded. Soon both of them had seated themselves near Harry with gales of laughter, only prolonging his choking fit. After quite some time, he recovered. 

"So this is the fearsome Harry Potter, saviour of the world?" Dianella smiled winsomely at Harry, catching his breath once again. Harry could only nod. Dianella smiled at Hermione and shook her head. Hermione grinned at the pretty girl who had reduced Harry to a bumbling mess, before digging into her own breakfast. 

Every person on the Gryffindor table made a point of introducing themselves to the enigmatic girl, but she just smiled and introduced herself as Dianella, not answering anyone's questions. She stayed near Hermione during all hours of the day, and most people avoided them because of that. Hermione was still not the most popular girl in school. The rumours died down, when a more pressing topic arrived ("Where is Draco Malfoy this year? He seems to have disappeared… Maybe his father has kept him home…"), and Nell slid into the background.

Severus glared down at the Gryffindor table, and although the coughing fit that Potter entered into was enough to make his morning (it lasted a full fifteen minutes!!), the reason for it was quite beyond him. A very pretty seventh year with cascading blonde curls had caused the fit, and it didn't take much figuring to realise that this was the girl claiming to be from the future. He sneered in the girl's direction, but she didn't look towards him. He contented himself with crunching his toast angrily and glaring at other teachers in silence. 

The other teachers all seemed delighted with the girl, her pretty face and pleasant manner making them all smile when they talked of her. Dumbledore would answer no questions about her ancestry, though, and most of the teachers just accepted this. Severus, however, felt some small trepidation whenever he was near the girl- and he had her twice a week, for Potions and Advanced Potions- and could never seem to figure out why. He put it down to the fact that she was obviously a spy, sent to figure out their weaknesses. Even so, he felt hard-pressed to scowl at her, and his glares just seemed to slide off. It annoyed him no end.


	5. Fatigue

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 5: Fatigue

Dianella surged through her classes with just as much ease as Hermione did, and it wasn't until she was seated in Potions (last period, Wednesday) that she encountered much animosity towards herself.

Snape stormed into the classroom in much the same way that he had in first year, his robes billowing melodramatically, the slamming door making all but the most-adjusted students jump in their seats, even after seven years. Hermione turned her face towards Nell just enough for her to see the grimace on her face. Then all faces were towards the front again, attention on the cantankerous man at the front of the room. Snape's slightly-nasally voice was soon bouncing around the deathly silent room, commanding their attention. The lesson proceeded along normal lines: fifteen minutes of theory, ten of questions and then a practical. Hermione's hand still flew up at every question, and it made even Nell wince. She nudged the girl's ribs the fifth time she did it, and although the questioning glance was a little annoyed, the girl did seem to take the hint. 

This didn't escape notice, however. "What, Miss Granger? No answer to this one?" Snape sneered.

Hermione shrugged, although her cheeks did gain a slight tinge of colour, "I realised that you're not going to call on me anyway, so why waste my energy? If you want the correct answer, you will either ask me or tell the class yourself." And with a slight straightening of her shoulders, she glared directly into the unsympathetic face of Snape, demanding response. Nell carefully arranged her face so that she didn't grin. 

Snape nodded jerkily, before turning on his heel to continue pacing the room, calling on people at random. Hermione smiled broadly in her seat for a moment before returning her eyes to her book.

During the practical (Anthropos Potion), Snape whispered up behind Nell, and would have startled her into accidentally mixing the wrong potion if she hadn't been used to soundless approaches from behind. "So you are the impostor who claims to be from the future." He sneered at last.

Nell replied without turning, "Oh, yes, of course. Didn't Dumbledore already explain that to you? It was most tardy of him if he did not. Of course, if you do not believe me, you can always use Veritaserum on me," Nell turned to look directly into Snape's face with no hint of contrition in her expression. She was a woman of stone, the mantra she chanted silently said. She glared at him for a moment more before dropping a carefully sliced newt-tail into the brew at exactly the right moment. She stirred the potion carefully, and the dark man snarled and moved away, finding no reason to stay. Nell was an advanced potions mixer. Hermione glanced over at Nell, seeing her stony-faced. The girls completed their potions and left them to cool for the required amount of time; they turned around to watch Harry and Ron fiddling. Both had had the pleasure of being introduced, although Ron had not been present for Harry's famous choking fit- he had slept in- and had complained about it all day.

"Ron, if you do that you'll ruin the potion." Ron glared at Hermione before doing it anyway. The potions fizzed and turned black. 

"Umm, that's not supposed to happen, is it?" Harry commented, and Ron rolled his eyes. 

"How am I supposed to do it then?" Nell smiled brilliantly, causing Harry to choke once again, and Ron to stop and stare. Hermione rolled her eyes in the background. 

"Well, Ron, you have to chop the newt's tail thinly and evenly- yours was rather coarse and uneven. You're also supposed to be stirring the potion when you add them. Simple enough." Nell smiled again, and Hermione grinned at the awestruck faces of her friends. 

"I think it's too much for their minds to comprehend, Nell. Maybe we should just leave them to it?" Hermione's tone was light and mocking.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure they'll get it right one of these days- maybe once they've turned seventy and have some patience?" Nell turned with Hermione, and they moved to begin to bottle their potions. Both girls worked in rhythm, and anyone who happened to be watching was struck by just how synchronised the girls were. 

They finished in the same moment, placing the last volumetric flasks on the bench between them at the same time. They looked at each other, and then they burst out laughing. All the eyes in the classroom turned to them, and many potions ended up ruined for their lack of concentration.

Snape glared at the girls, and they quickly stopped. "I don't know what you girls find so amusing, but this is not a class of mirth. There is a war brewing outside these walls, and it would do you well to remember that. Laughter too often brings around complacency. And I will _not_ tolerate complacency in this classroom." 

Both girls managed to look appropriately contrite, but Snape imagined that he could see the mirth hiding behind their eyes. He growled and stalked off, contenting himself with destroying the hopes and dreams of other students. _Who is this girl from the future who is so skilled at creating potions?_

Hermione and Nell exchanged a glance, before packing up, doing their dishes and leaving. Once they were out the door, Hermione exploded. "Who does he think he is? The Grinch who stole laughter? How can he possibly say things like that? Laughter is our best weapon in this war, and he wants to abolish it? Ugh!" Hermione threw her hands in the air and began to storm off. Nell raced after her.

"Maybe he's just upset because he has no laughter in his life?" Nell braved a glare from her grandmother. 

"You want me to consider that bastard's feelings? I don't think he even _has_ feelings!" Hermione growled. Nell stared.

"You really think that?"

"Well," Hermione said, considering for a moment, "Yes, I do. He is always horrible to people. And he's an arrogant prat. And I can't stand to be anywhere near him." Hermione glared at Nell again as her face twisted. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. He is a hero of this war, you know." Nell noted, not looking at Hermione.

Hermione's face softened and she nodded. "Don't know what he's doing, but it probably involves He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a whole bunch of men in black robes with face-masks. Not a job I'd care for." She sighed, glancing up at Nell's face. "Maybe you're right. I just hate the way he takes it all out on us."

Nell nodded and draped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Pretty awful, hey?"

"Mmhmm," Hermione nodded, and the girls walked slowly back to the Gryffindor rooms. 


	6. Familiarity

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 6: Familiarity

Life proceeded, as it tends to do. Harry's awkwardness seemed to increase with every moment he spent looking at Nell's face, but she didn't care. He was her Nana's friend, not her boyfriend, and although she did point this out- several times- Harry never seemed to catch on. Ron sighed whenever he saw her, melancholy at the thought of Harry winning over this beautiful girl, and his having no chance. Nell chose not to say what the future held for him. She talked to Ron more than Harry, as Ron at least seemed to have given up on winning her hand. She found him easy to talk to, and often Hermione, Ron and Nell went down to Hogsmeade for lunch. Harry sometimes tagged along, but never said anything, his tongue tied. 

Harry, increasingly, found himself talking to Ginny Weasley- much to her delight. They would often go for long walks while the others went to lunch. Harry also found himself spending more time with Seamus, and Neville, and the other boys. They were delighted to have him around, and often they would go to the pub on Saturday afternoons. Harry drifted away from his long-time friends over a girl. 

Sometimes, when he thought about this, it made him a little sad, but then someone would come along, and he wasn't alone to think melancholy thoughts. But even in all his newfound friends, he didn't quite feel as if he belonged. Harry pushed these feelings aside, resolving to talk to Ron. How long had it been since he talked to the person who slept in the next bed across in his room? Quite a long time, nearly a month, Harry calculated. And who was this girl to drive their friendship apart? Harry tried not to grow bitter, and found it a hard battle. He often wondered if these feelings were harder to deal with than Voldemort himself. 

#~~~~~~~~~~~#

But this is not Harry Potter's story, at least not at this moment. Dianella found herself loving this life, almost more than her life in the future. She had good company, and although Dumbledore claimed he was fast approaching a procedure to send her home, Nell found it hard to believe. 

One afternoon, when Hermione and Nell went to lunch together, with no boys in sight, Hermione began to ask questions that Nell really wished that she hadn't. 

"Nell, you've told me about me in the future, and about your father, but who is your mother?" Hermione forked some food into her mouth. Nell put her fork down.

"I don't really think you want to be talking about this, Hermione. It doesn't take future-knowledge to know where this conversation will end up…" Nell looked to Hermione with alarm in her eyes. Hermione frowned a little, a thoughtful frown. 

"Where will it end up?" Hermione seemed truly puzzled. Nell sighed.

"With who you marry. And, believe me, you don't want to go there just now. I'd really like to leave that to you to figure out. Really," Nell said, pleadingly. Hermione looked a little startled, and shrugged her shoulders. 

"Just tell me about your mother's family then. I don't really want to know who I marry, although it would save me a little trouble." Hermione sighed a little, but smiled sadly.

"Ok, just so long as you don't want to know who you marry. I'm going to leave that as a surprise for you." _Really big surprise, too. Oh, don't you worry about that, Nana. You always said that he was the very, very last person you'd ever expect…_ "My mother's name is Amara. She has blonde hair like mine, but she has blue eyes. She lives at home, but I don't really see her that much. I prefer to stay at school with you. Mainly because mama is always so happy. It's a trifle disturbing to come home and have mama running around, trying everything to make me smile. Especially when I don't really feel like smiling. 

"But anyway, yes, she's wonderful, but I seem to have inherited a little more of my father's moods. She is good for him; he loves her more than life. I love mama too, but she's a little annoying to be around for more than a week. I love her dearly but our personalities clash. And she's always happy for me to spend plenty of time with you, since we get along so well. 

"She cleans every other day. She bakes on the days in between. Mama went to Beauxbatons, as did her mother before her. I think that grandpapa had bad experiences here at Hogwarts. Grandpapa came here, but I haven't seen him… rumour has it that he's staying home this year. Not that I really think I'd want to. He always says that he wasn't the nicest person while he was here. When the war ended, and his father died, he finally found himself. His mother arranged his marriage, to Grandmamma, and they are actually really happy. They don't work, living on inherited money as they do, and they always love seeing me. I visit them a bit. Mama was an only child, like dada, and like me. Wizarding families seem to be lessening the number of children they have. Except the Weasley's, they always have heaps of kids." Nell broke off from her long monologue to laugh. Hermione looked a little awestruck. 

"Who is your Grandpapa?"

Nell suddenly looked around the café, eyes scanning for his familiar face. She shrugged. "I don't know if it would be helpful for you to know. He has blond hair, grey eyes; he's always been a bit skinny… Ringing any bells?" Nell glanced questioningly at Hermione. Hermione was staring at her again. 

"Ok, so you know him. You asked, remember…" and with that, Hermione grimaced. 

"Yes, I did. Ok, so Draco Malfoy is your grandpapa. Your right, it probably isn't helpful for me to know that. And his father dies in the endgame of the war?" 

"Yup. Not pleasantly... Oh!" Nell slapped her hand on the table. "I'm not going to say anything more about the last battle. Nothing. I wasn't there, I should say nothing." Nell glared viciously at the table, and Hermione looked a little startled. 

"Are you ok, Nell?" She questioned, her worried tone producing a sheepish smile on Nell's face. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Grandfather tells the grandest tales about the war. They're dark and scary; he never was one for happy endings. He is the best storyteller I know," Nell smiled prettily, before turning the conversation easily aside. 

Still, Hermione latched onto the thought and considered it, at great length. A storyteller? And not one for happy endings… It was a big puzzle for Hermione, and she resolved to think about it only when Nell was gone, so the temptations to just implore Nell to tell her were gone. 


	7. Frustrations

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 7: Frustrations

Nell sat on the chair in an uncomfortable silence. She had the feeling that Dumbledore didn't realise that it was an uncomfortable silence, and that was the reason he wasn't breaking it. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, reading through a paper produced by Flitwick. His eyes scanned the information; all the while, Nell was sitting uncomfortably in her chair. She wriggled a little, trying to get Dumbledore to hurry. Without lifting his eyes from the page, Dumbledore lifted a shallow bowl of sweets from the table and offered them to her. "Lemon Drop?"

Nell began to realise that this man, although being infuriatingly intelligent– and infuriatingly powerful- was also infuriatingly good at hiding it. She shook her head, and he returned his hand, again without looking up. Nell began to hum softly to herself. 

The door swung open, clashing loudly against the stone wall. Nell jumped, and glared up at the tall man in billowing black robes. He glared back, before turning his glare to Dumbledore. 

"And your reasons for bringing me here are?" His voice was a growl in the back of his throat. Dumbledore finally looked up from the paper, apparently ignoring the slamming door. 

"Ah, Severus. How nice of you to join us. I believe we have a conversation to be had." And with that, he pushed his nose back into the paper, and nothing either of them said brought him back out of it. 

Snape swirled, and tried to open the door that had swung closed behind him. It stuck fast. "Damn meddling man," he swore. "Well, girl, what do you have to say?"

Nell looked up at the man, startled. "I assumed you had something to say, as I don't."

Snape growled, before moving to pace in front of the fire. Nell sighed. She settled back in her chair, wondering just what was supposed to come out in this little session. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift backward (forward?) in time.

_"Oh, tell another story Grandfather! Please, just one more!" The tall man leaned close to the blonde girl._

_"What do I get if I do?" and the girl laughed delightedly, kissing her grandfather on the face. He smiled broadly, picking the girl up and settling her onto his lap. He began to tell another story, even bigger and better than the first. The blonde girl snuggled into her grandfather's embrace, knowing that he would keep her safe._

Dianella looked up at the gaunt man pacing in front of the fire, watching his movements. He turned his face from his observation of the floor to catch her eyes in a dark glare. Nell sighed and returned her eyes to the desk that Dumbledore sat behind. 

"What was that sigh for?" Snape demanded. Nell sighed again, louder this time.

"You are definitely changed by the end of the war." She said, and then buried her face in her arms. Snape stopped moving and stared at the girl.

"I'm still alive at the end of the war?" Nell nodded her head without removing her arms. She began to shake, and Snape wondered what was wrong with the girl. _Teenagers_, was his only semi-compassionate thought before he resumed his pacing. 

He stopped still again, looking at the blonde girl crunched in the chair. She had drawn her legs up to her chest, and her curly hair was all that could be seen of her head. He stared at her for a few moments longer. 

"What's wrong, girl." The snarling statement could almost be considered a question about her wellbeing, but only at the largest of stretches. It sounded more like an accusation to Nell, whose tears only became more violent. She struggled to contain her sobs. In vain: sobs wracked her body, and her shaking grew more pronounced. Snape aimed an apprehensive look at the girl, wondering exactly what her problem was. She was from the future, after all. She knew what was happening: or at least she should. Snape noted with some amusement that Dumbledore roused from his reading, got up and went over to the child.

"Would you like to share?" Dumbledore's soft words elicited a response from the girl. She nodded.

In between sobs, she managed to say something like, "he's just so ruthless- I can't believe that he's like that."

Dumbledore gently brushed her hair out of her face, "Who, dear?"

"Grandfather." And another round of sobs began again. Snape rolled his eyes and resumed pacing. So the girl was having a family crisis. What did it have to do with him?

Dumbledore spoke quietly to the sobbing girl whilst Snape continued to pace the length of the room. _Three, four, five, turn_. It was a short room for someone with such long legs. His robes held the heat from the fire to his side, and after a while they were too warm for him to continue pacing. He moved away and sat in a chair. He watched Dumbledore crouched in front of the girl. Snape firmly kept his mind to himself, not caring who she was. _She is an impostor_, he told his mind. 

Finally, Dumbledore stepped away from the girl, her weeping eyes having reddened her face and left trails down it. She glanced up at him from underneath sodden lashes. Snape cast an incurious gaze over her. He had no reason to care about this pathetic imitation, so why should he? Dumbledore glared at the man, and that was enough for him to reply, "What?"

But, instead of Dumbledore answering, a rasping reply came from the blonde girl. "You are an insensitive, disgusting old man. You crave importance and to do so strip away from others their sense of worth. You take out your pain on everyone else, whether they deserve it or not. If I could, I would hate you." And with that, she sullenly looked off into the distance, her reddened face pouting, and making her look like a small child.

Snape simply shrugged. It wasn't the first time he'd heard this kind of thing, but it was definitely the first time anyone had phrased the insults properly. It was actually the kind of thing that he'd do himself. In fact, those insults often arose in his mind when he stood in front of the mirror.

Dumbledore glared at Snape again, and he realised that Dumbledore expected him to respond. Snape turned his gaze indifferently out the window also.

"Severus! I believe that the girl wants an apology?"

Snape rounded his gaze on his employer, "no, I believe that you want an apology. _She_ has indicated no desire for me to do so," there was contempt in the words. "In fact, all she has done is recite the litany that I often tell myself. Why should I apologise for the truth?"

Dumbledore sighed, resting a hand over his eyes. He looked intensely weary. 

The girl, however, looked him in the face with that pathetic face of hers, swelled eyes wide open. "Do you really think of yourself like that?" She questioned, her voice still wavering after her tears.

Snape shrugged. "I don't really have anything good in my personal repertoire. Why should I lie to myself?"

The girl again looked startled. She pushed herself up out of her seat and gave the unyielding man a hug. A chaste hug, but still the first one he had experienced for many years. He found himself awkwardly patting her back before she pulled away, embarrassed. 

"Sorry. I just… I never really thought that you believed all that stuff about yourself. I mean, you always joke about it when… umm… break that line of thought" and the girl nervously turned away from him, going to stand in front of the window. Dumbledore stood slowly, his weariness apparently a sign of his age, not his exasperation with his Potions Master. 

Snape narrowed his eyes. He had never joked throughout his entire employment at Hogwarts, nor for a long time beforehand. He didn't even know if he still _could_ joke. 

"When did I apparently make these jokes?" Snape's question grated out of his unwilling throat. He didn't want to know the answer. Not really, at any rate.

The blonde girl turned her dark eyes onto him; she passed a cold stare over him, and he involuntarily shivered. The girl's stare reminded him of his own mother's stare. 

"If I were to tell you that, _Professor_, I would almost never be able to go back to my time. And," she said thoughtfully, her gaze sliding to the fire; "I would probably create a time paradox, involving two- or more- futures, all depending on what actually changed. Somehow I don't think I want to do that," she stated firmly, her eyes back on Snape. 

Then, inexplicably, she grinned, an open, warm grin, and the door mysteriously clicked open. The girl glanced at it, but turned her gaze back to the window in front of her. Snape caught a glance from the Headmaster, took the hint and left rather hastily. He didn't want to know. He really didn't. 

There was panic in his eyes as he left.

#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#

The door closed heavily behind the man, almost catching the edges of his black robes. Nell turned to stare at the Headmaster. "Merlin, Dumbledore! How did you know that?"

Dumbledore chuckled deep in his throat. "My dear, I know things you will never begin to understand. But in this case, I had some help," Dumbledore motioned towards a door that hadn't been there a few moments ago. 

"Meet my good friend, Dobby."

Nell gasped as a small, grey-skinned creature about the height of her waist entered, with eyes like tennis-balls and large floppy ears that stuck out of the sides of his head. 

Dobby the house elf, once servant of the Malfoy family, now servant of Hogwarts, looked up at the girl. "Dobby is pleased to meet you, Miss. Dobby has been doing work for Master Dumbledore, fetching your bedclothes and finding information. Dobby likes this work, Miss, and is thankful to you for making it." And with that, he performed an odd bow that looked a little like a curtsey, but was really somewhere in the middle of both, and stepped behind Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled at the small creature, and motioned that he was free to leave. The house elf smiled broadly and left.

"The… The house elves can travel through time?" Dianella choked, her eyes still on the door through which the house elf had left. Dumbledore smiled wistfully at the girl.

"Actually, Elves can. But since Dobby's been freed, he's been able to use some of these powers sparingly. Because he's still employed, and therefore not free- entirely- he finds them difficult. The use of them makes him wilder, so it has to be carefully interspersed between long bouts of dishes. And carefully annunciated details." Dumbledore sighed. "I don't like using him like this, but it's the only way I can really track time travel."

Nell nodded slowly. "Couldn't Dobby just take me with him one time?"

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, his ability spans only to himself and inanimate objects. He tried bringing a snail home on his last trip, but it didn't work. He said that it felt like something was tearing at his mind, trying to break it apart. I believe that if he were to take someone with him, he would revert fully back to being an Elf."

Nell frowned thoughtfully. "I'll have to think about this. I might be able to come up with something." She shook her head and smiled at the Headmaster. "I'd better get back to the Common Room, or else Professor Snape will deduct points from me on the way for sure!" She grinned impishly and waved goodbye to the Headmaster as she scuttled through the door. 

Dumbledore sighed. This was just too much work for an old man.


	8. Flirtations

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 8: Flirtation

Hermione sat in her room, watching Lavendar preening for another night in another bed.

"Honestly, Lavendar, what's the point of wondering what clothes you wear? You're just going to take them all off anyway." Hermione remarked snidely.

Lavendar flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Hermione, please don't take your sexual frustrations out on me, dear. For one, I don't swing that way, and for two, you're just jealous.

"Anyway," she continued, "the point is, I have to look ravishing enough for him to want me." And with a flounce in her little black dress, she turned around, looking ravishing indeed. Hermione sighed, and Lavendar grinned. "See you later, Hermione. Enjoy your sleep," Lavendar winked at the girl, and pranced out the door. Hermione aimed daggers at her back.

"I don't need any stupid bed-buddies." Hermione muttered to herself, trying to concentrate on her homework. "I have far too much to do." But she didn't sound convincing, even to herself. This was tedious. 

Just at the point when Hermione was about to burst out into tears in her loneliness, Dianella swept in. She quickly caught the mood of the room, and looked curiously at Hermione.

Hermione looked up at the girl with despair in her eyes. "I feel so alone. I have no one to love." And she lowered her head, so she didn't have to look in the face of the girl who was to be her granddaughter.

"Hermione," Nell spoke softly, "is sex love?"

Hermione looked up, shook her head, but the tears still rolled down her face. She didn't say anything for fear that her voice would break.

"Do you want the same sort of thing that Lavendar and Parvati have?" Hermione again shook her head, eyes still tearing.

Nell looked at the distraught young woman that would be her Nana. She looked so tired, so afraid, so lost. Nell sat down on the floor beside Hermione's desk, and Hermione slid off the chair beside her. Nell put her arm around her. "Do you want to know more about grandfather?" She whispered softly, and Hermione nodded her head, resting on Nell's shoulder.

"Grandfather is a real gentleman. He opens doors for you, and always seats you before he sits down. He brings you roses, and lilies. He smiles when you are around, and is always gentle. He kisses the very top of your head and brushes the hair out of your face…" Hermione's face smiled through her drying tears as Nell's voice continued to paint a picture of the man of Hermione's dreams. She sighed against her granddaughter, letting herself be taken care of. When she finally fell asleep, still leaning on Nell's shoulder, Nell used her wand to levitate the girl into the bed, and pulled the bedsheets tightly over her. The sleeping girl snuggled into them instinctively. 

Nell went over to her own bed, all thoughts of getting back to the future gone from her mind. She fell exhaustedly into a deep sleep. 

#~~~~~~~~~~~~#

The war was progressing. The giants were fending off some of the more unpleasant creatures brought up by Voldemort, and the Ministry was in chaos. Fudge was an incompetent in times of war, and soon enough most people were realising it. More and more support was thrown in behind Dumbledore and his war effort, and more people turned to Arthur Weasley within the Ministry. Within this, Hogwarts seemed the only haven where Voldemort and his terror didn't effect everyone. The students carried out their lives, and the Order of the Phoenix kept them safe. Nobody questioned Dumbledore's wishes to keep the children safe. It was what they wanted too.


	9. Finally

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 9: Finally

Three days later, Dianella figured out a way to get herself back to the present. Or future. Whatever. She was bursting with enthusiasm, and as she sat in Transfiguration, she was positively humming. Hermione turned to look at the girl and it was all Nell could do to not shout her solution across the room. Ron was sitting next to the girl, and he noticed that she was bouncing all over the place. 

"Hey, Nell. Did you eat bouncing beans for breakfast this morning?" Ron hissed into her ear. Nell smiled enigmatically at the boy, before turning and trying to concentrate on the class again. Ron looked hopelessly at the girl before shrugging and trying to concentrate on the work at hand. 

Ron, however, found it harder and harder to work. Nell's scent kept pushing up his nose, and all he could think about was the girl. He glanced over at Harry, on the other side of the room, but couldn't catch his gaze. _How long has it been since I talked to him?_ Ron wondered idly, trying to ignore the scent lingering in his nostrils. Too long, if not being able to catch his gaze was anything to go by. Ron decided to ignore whatever McGonagall was trying to teach him, and began to write a letter to his friend.

By the end of class, he had an almost legible, almost worthy letter to give to his friend. He folded it and passed it to Harry on the way out before walking up the pathway to the Divination Tower. 

Harry looked at the crumpled piece of parchment, and decided to read it. He hadn't quite gotten around to talking to Ron yet, despite his best intentions to. Maybe he _was_ a coward inside. Opening the letter, Harry struggled his way through his friend's almost-legible writing. 

Harry finished reading the letter before scurrying to his next class: Divination. Harry clamoured in, and managed to seat himself next to Ron with little fuss. A quick grin and they were best friends again.

#~~~~~~~~~~#

Nell pushed Hermione gently out the door, bouncing along. 

"I've got it! I've got it!" she cried, watching Hermione's face break into a huge grin also. "I get to go home!" Hermione threw her arms around Nell, and the two danced around a bit. They then rushed to Advanced Potions, a class taken by only the most resilient of students- mainly because it meant putting up with more Snape. Most people decided to either have a free lesson, or do Divination. Both girls had shuddered at the thought of either. 

As they rushed into the classroom, bags falling to the floor beside their desk, the girls twittered quietly whilst the class waited for Snape to arrive. "I can't believe it!" Hermione whispered, "it's only been a couple of months, and already you're going back home! What will I do now?"

Nell's face fell, but she thought quickly. "I'll write you letters before I go, one for each week until graduation. Then you'll have too much to think about anyway. You can write back, and keep them until I get home. I guess you'll have a lot by then…" Nell winked, and Hermione laughed.

"A bit like keeping a diary, but written to someone else. I like it, and I probably will give them to you when you get home." Then both girls laughed. Their joy infused the two Hufflepuffs that came, and the one Ravenclaw and three Slytherins. 

After another moment, the door swung open, and the lesson began. Nell frowned a little before walking up to Snape during the practical part of the lesson.

"Professor Snape," she started cautiously, waiting until he waved his hand impatiently at her to speak.

"I'd like to create a binding potion. Would it be ok for me to do it now?" Snape looked up at the girl, remembered what Dumbledore had told him ("let the girl make whatever potion she needs- it will be helpful in getting her back to her own time"), shrugged and opened the storeroom. Nell walked in and grasped the ingredients she needed, and walked back to her table. She set her cauldron to the 'simmer' setting, and began to slice ingredients. Hermione watched her carefully, trying to figure out exactly what she was doing, but found that her own potion was far too commanding to spend the attention on what the other girl was doing. 

Nell sautéed and swirled and stirred and muttered Latin incantations under her breath. Her mind was working overtime getting all the incantations correct, and her fingers worked quickly without conscious effort. Snape watched for a moment, caught up in the intensity of what the girl was doing. But he quickly shook his head, and turned away. The girl was damn good. He went to inspect the Ravenclaw boy's potion.

Nell finished the potion, whistling a small tune of perfectly pitched notes over it to complete it. Then she took her wand, lifted all the liquid out of the cauldron and placed it in a large conical flask. She swirled it, stoppered it, and placed a wax seal on it. She sealed it with several incantations, then sat back and smiled, satisfied. 

Hermione finished the canon potion, then turned and looked at the girl. "Part of your going home spell?" She asked quietly. Most of the school had found out the story that Nell was a time-turner victim, but most didn't know her paternity or fraternity. None, in fact, except Hermione and Dumbledore. There were always rumours going around, but Nell just laughed whenever she heard them. About three days after she turned up, she stopped being a celebrity and became just another Gryffindor. This was fine by her. Nell glanced over and nodded. She didn't elaborate. She was going home.


	10. Freedom

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 10: Freedom

Nell sat down at the desk and began to write. She didn't know exactly what she was going to write before she sat down, and after she finished she realised that she didn't know exactly what she had written. She wrote letter after letter to Hermione, sealing them all with a date-spell, so that they would automatically open on the day specified. Then she wrote a few letters to Ron, and a letter to Harry. She sighed, and stood up. Nell walked to the window, looking out at the cold environs. She breathed until her breath misted a large part of the window. Then she wrote an incantation in the mist, quickly, before it disappeared. The window shimmered a little, then looked as if nothing had changed. Nell smiled. Another day. 

Nell took herself to the foot of Dumbledore's stair and waited. The gargoyle turned out of the way almost immediately, and Nell walked into Dumbledore's office. She carried a large flask of grey-green liquid. Dumbledore was seated at his desk; Dobby was standing beside him. Nell smiled at them. "I'm going home!" she exclaimed, placing the bottle on the desk. She picked up a piece of paper from the table, scribbled a small note onto it, and handed them to Dobby.

"Would you please take these to Nana?" Dobby smiled, and shimmered, shifted… and was suddenly gone. Dumbledore glanced at the girl, "Are you sure this will work?" 

Nell nodded confidently. "It will work." They both waited for a few moments in silence.

The air shimmered, shifted, and Dobby stood in front of them again. His eyes were a little wild, but he still remained true to his shape. "Dobby enjoyed that, Miss." He said, and Nell smiled, a little nervously. But it was too late now; it was time to go home. 

"Please take me home, Dobby. What I just asked you to take to my Nana was a potion to stop you from getting sick. When you take me back, you will be sick, but the potion will make you better. Are you ok with that?" Nell asked. 

Dobby wailed, "Miss is so kind! Treats Dobby like he is a proper person! Dobby will do as Miss asks, Dobby will!" And his eagerness boiled over into exuberance. 

Nell looked to Dumbledore. "I'm afraid he won't be able to come back." She sighed regretfully. Dumbledore smiled a little, and Nell embraced the old man. Then she joined her hand with Dobby and they flickered, shifted…

Then all that was left was emptiness, and Dumbledore sighed audibly. He wasn't young enough for this anymore. And now he had a final battle to prepare for…


	11. Futile

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 11: Futile

Hermione sat at the desk, reading the first letter. 

       Dear Hermione

I will probably be home now, with you again. I guess I'd better explain how I got home…

Hermione read and read, until her eyes were sore. When she had finished, she read it again. She looked down at the other letters, wondering what they contained. She didn't try to open them, though. They would open at the appropriate time. Hermione lowered her head to the table to cry. She had lost a friend, and confidant to the ravages of time.

#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#

Ron read his letter, open-mouthed at the contents. He read it again, just to be sure. He looked out the window, his mind racing. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Nothing at all. Ron decided that he would believe what the letter told him, and that it was his fate. He didn't know if he would have done it otherwise, but with forewarning, he decided. He would do it. For the world he loved, and the girl he loved too.

#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#

Harry read the letter with trepidation. What could this enigmatic girl want to say to him? He read the letter, and its details of the final battle. He shuddered a little at the graphic details, but he accepted it. Otherwise everything would fall away, freefalling into darkness and despair. Harry, determined, went to go and talk with Dumbledore about strategy. He paused in the common room, and went to collect Hermione on the way through. She had red eyes from crying, but waved off his questions. 

"I just miss her, is all. Now I have to do something to get my mind off it, ok?" So they went to Dumbledore, and planned the final strategy.


	12. Faithful

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 12: Faithful

Nell foundered and fell to the ground, the creature beside her writhing in pain as its bone structure tried to change within it. It squealed with violent ferocity, wriggling and tearing at its skin. This was all that existed for a few moments that felt like eternity. Suddenly, a face floated into her consciousness, a face that looked very familiar, but swam and was blurred beyond recognition.

"Nell, I need you to move back." Nell scuttled backwards, painfully, her every atom protesting. Then she managed to push herself up to sitting position, her head swimming, pain blinding her for a few moments. Slowly her vision cleared, and she could see the creature that was now identifiable as Dobby writhing on the ground. He was keening in anguish, and Nana was holding the grey-green potion above him. Nell could hear her voice soothing the pain-wracked house elf. Nana knelt down and pushed Dobby's mouth open, careful not to let him bite her fingers in his convulsions. Nana poured a small amount of the potion into Dobby's mouth, and watched as he spat it out. 

"Please, Dobby, you need to take this medicine if you want the pain to stop!" Nana tried again and again, each time the potion dribbled slowly out of the creature's mouth. Nana was soon sobbing with the effort, and Dobby's structure was still stretching. Nell called out, "Dobby! Please, swallow the potion!" 

And, as if in recognition of her voice, Dobby swallowed a very small amount. Then he swallowed a little more, then a little more as Nana kept pushing small amounts into his mouth. Finally, his bone structure settled back into proper house elf style, and he stayed cuddled on the floor, shivering with the memory of pain. Nell crawled over to Dobby and hugged the small creature to herself. He shuddered and wailed, then clung to her like a small child. Nana lunged forward and grasped both of them in a huge hug. It was over.


	13. Free

**Freefalling**

By dazed*kitten

Part 13: Free 

Dianella opened her eyes to see an all-too-familiar sight: the roof of the Hospital Wing. She nearly panicked, thinking that she was back in the past, that it hadn't worked. But then she rolled over and saw Nana sitting in the chair, asleep. Smiling broadly, Nell sat up, her head swimming for a moment before clearing; she got up and sat herself down on Hermione's lap, hugging her Nana. 

Hermione awoke to Nell hugging her, and she cried out, wrapping her arms around her granddaughter. They both cried, clinging to each other. 

"I'm so glad you're home and safe- I was worried, even though I knew where you were…" Hermione's voice faltered and failed.

"I'll never touch a Time Turner ever again, Nana, I promise!" Nell clung again, and they both sobbed. 

The door opened silently, and a dark figure walked in. He smiled, then reached down to stroke his granddaughter's hair. Nell pulled her head back before leaping into her grandfather's waiting arms. He held her, smiling at Hermione over Nell's head. 

Hermione smiled back at him, standing slowly to embrace them both. She whispered quietly into Nell's ear, "It was a surprise, a very great surprise. I'm glad you didn't tell me- I would have fainted, or done something silly. Thankyou," then she kissed Nell's ear and hugged them both even tighter. 

#~~~~~~~~~~~~#

Later, at dinner, Nell sat at the table with her grandparents. Conversation was free, and there were many jokes about people whom Nell had met in her visit to the past. 

"What did you write in your letter to Ron, Nell?" Hermione asked casually. Nell froze, guiltily. 

"Well, actually, I told him the sacrifice he'd have to make." She said quickly, hoping that it would minimise the impact. Severus looked directly at the girl, making her cringe a little. 

"Really?" He asked, his quiet voice betraying his emotions. Hermione just looked at her.

"Umm, yes. I told him the way the battle would unfold, and his role. He obviously followed through, or else he'd still be alive, and we wouldn't have won the war." Nell looked nervously at her Nana. Hermione's expression was hurt, but she reached out and grasped Nell's arm.

"It's ok, Nell, you're right. We would have lost if he didn't kill Lucius when he did, even if he did get killed in the process. He saved the world. It's just hard to come to terms…" Hermione then returned to looking at her food. 

Severus looked at his wife, then at his granddaughter. "You definitely are my grandchild, Nell. I couldn't think of a better way to win a war than come back from the future and tell the main people what they needed to do. Your grandmother will accept that in time, but I think I might have to change a few of my stories now to include you." He grinned at her, rolling back the years from his face. Nell smiled too, and sighed contentedly. Everything was the way it was meant to be.


End file.
